Religion and Politics: Verging on the Postmodern

In: Alternatives: global, local, political, Band 13, Heft 3, S. 379-394

Abstract

A global analysis of the resurgence of religion as a sociopolitical force in the crisis of modernism. Eastern & Western societies are compared in terms of their sociocultural responses to the historical movement from premodern, to modern, to postmodern social structure. In this process, organized religion has languished as a moral force in public affairs & policy, creating the current dilemma: technological problems cannot be resolved solely by more technology, but require political & moral solutions. Recent years, however, have seen a worldwide revival of the relevance of religion in political decision making. Liberation theology in Latin America is studied as an example. It is concluded that as science & technology lose their credibility as solvers of human problems, there will be a political renewal based in religious concerns. M. Crowdes